Trade unions for more jobs, better wages

Swiss trade unions are pressing for more jobs, higher wages and further reforms to the old-age pension scheme. At its annual news conference in the capital, Berne, the Trade Union Federation said these were its main targets for the year 2000.

Swiss trade unions are pressing for more jobs, higher wages and further reforms to the old-age pension scheme. At its annual news conference in the capital, Berne, the Trade Union Federation said these were its main targets for the year 2000.

The federation’s chief economist, Serge Gaillard, said despite the fall in unemployment to 2.1 per cent last year, there was no room for complacency. He said it was too early to talk of full employment as there was still a shortage of 150,000 jobs on the market.

For his part, the federation’s president, Paul Rechsteiner, called for the 11th revision of the old-age pension scheme to make early retirement an option for everyone.

He welcomed the fact that for the first time in years, the trend towards a fall in wages in real terms was reversed last year. But he said the rises had been too small and that there was a lot of catching up to do.

Rechsteiner added that the trade union federation would continue to fight for a general increase for those on medium and low wages, and work towards improving co-operation between the federation’s members.

From staff and wire reports